As late as 2006-07, his last full season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Livingston was still trying to develop the sort of upper and lower body strength needed to not only become a starting-quality NBA guard (criticisms that have rightfully dogged him since his pre-draft workouts in 2004), but someone who could be counted on to play half an NBA game 65 times over the course of a season.

That was two years ago, and though the Clippers were and are a skinflint organization when it comes to bulking up in the strength and training department, it's going to take more than a change of practice court scenery for Livingston to turn things around.

That doesn't mean that he can't turn it around, or that 82 percent of basketball junkies out there wouldn't give 82 percent of their kidneys to see this kid working at full strength, but it's going to be another season of underwater work and treadmill time. That's just how things are going to flow, so we'd like to ask that we wait a while before presuming that the "finished" label works with Mr. Livingston. Apologies for repeating myself, but partially because it would depress the hell out of your humble narrator, and mainly because it wouldn't be true, even next June.

KD adds that, if and when Shaun is ready to perform on the court, there will be ample opportunity for him. But...

So as a fourth guard, let's remind ourselves not to rail when he doesn't see but 14 minutes in a month, or can't see the court in a 30-point win or loss. This is still a rebuilding year, those legs (among other body parts) have to work themselves into passable NBA shape, and the guy just turned 23.

It can be said with good assurance that most of the league -- and a unanimous number in these parts -- hope Shaun's day is sooner than later.

Posted Wednesday, October 29 at 3:20PM

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Comments

The Heat are banking that Shaun is going to be able to play again, with the understanding that they can't expect anything from him right now or even the near future. The current Clipper squad affords him no opportunity to start, and that's assuming, and hoping, he works himself back into proper condition. Considering the injury, if he can see any minutes in an NBA game again, it would be a big deal. But far back is he set, development wise? How many months until he's back on track from two years ago? Will his knee recovery be overshadowed by various other injuries that always seem to befall him? Here's hoping his recovery is full, because a healthy Shaun should make for some good basketball with all that talent in Miami. But it's something of a relief not to have to deal with those particular questions anymore.

First and foremost, i wish the kid the all the best. i know he's a good kid and has had some really bad luck. i have rooted for him since day one and i was surprised at myself at how it hurt me personally when he got injured that day. For me, that day he got hurt and the day EB's departure was official marked the 2 most hurtful days to be a clipper fan in the last 10 years (for me at least).

On the other hand, i'm kind of jealous that Miami has a chance to get this talented guy for nothing. The Clippers invested the #4 pick on him. The Clippers played him at the expense of winning just to get him some playing time. The Clippers nursed him back to health for 2 years. And finally, the clippers offered him a guaranteed contract for $1 million bucks (supposedly).

Yes, i want him to succeed, but i dont like the way he left. It's almost as if he wasnt greatful. He seemed intent on leaving LA and to get a fresh start elsewhere. That is EB-esque.

Maybe it's because I HATE the Miami heat-- from Shaq to Zo to Hardaway to Wade...

Oh well... just venting. Looking back it was a mistake drafting him, but at least they took a chance. I do wish him the best, i just hope he does it on a losing Miami team.

In the end, he didnt really accomplish much with the Clippers. he had some nice stretches and was huge in the playoffs against Phoenix, but we never got to see him blossom.

A winning season this year for the Clippers will make me forget how important EB and Shaun were to the franchise.

Similarly, i wasnt lamenting over losing Q and D-Miles and Odom when the Clipps were tearing it up in 2006.

1) Shaun Livingston is like Barry Obama. It's all about hope for the future with no significant accomplishments.

2) Now that Shaun is with another team, has done nothing meaningful to help the Clippers win games over the past 4 years, and passed on the Clipper's very fair and reasonable offer, should we really be giving this guy any more air time? I like the quote in the movie "Incredibles", when Mr. Incredible says "we keep inventing new ways to celebrate mediocrity."

3) If Shaun is going to be a broadcaster, then he might want to go back and finish high school. My two young daughter's (ages 10 and 12) made fun of him during the games when he struggled to read a promo off of a teleprompter for Sports Chalet. It was rather pathetic.

i'm glad shaun is off the clippers. now clipper fans can stop trying to find a silver lining in shaun having a spot on the roster. all i ever heard form people before his injury, let me specify, his latest knee injury, was the "potential" he has. i grew tired of people riding his jock based on potential we never got on any nightly basis. the kid did nothing for the team. he never showed any kind of consistency (the few times he wasn't injured for one reason or another). sure he had some highlight worthy plays, but even the biggest scrub in the nba can get off a decent assist. shaun refusing the clippers' 1 year $1 mil offer shows me how ungreatful he is and how over inflated his ego is. the clippers invested a lot of faith in him and exercised the 4th year team option on his rookie contract knowing good and well he wouldn't play again for a long long time. But at least now he's some other team's headache. i'd gladly eat up wasting a #4 pick on him leaving rather than keep paying him for nothing. even when he did play, i wasn't impressed. even if he didn't injured his knee, i had him marked as a draft bust. peace out corey, elton, and shaun. i'm ready for the baron davis era with kaman and thornton bringing the goods.

The Baylor story was reported on KLAC and in the Orange County Register.

Baylor apparently out with Clippers
October 7th, 2008, 12:36 pm

posted by ART THOMPSON III, OCREGISTER.COM

Although the Clippers have not made an official announcement, Hall of Famer, Laker legend and NBA icon Elgin Baylor no longer is performing his duties as the team’s vice president of basketball operations and general manager.

A NBA executive contacted Tuesday afternoon said he had been told that Baylor no longer was performing his job. Reportedly, legal representatives of the Clippers and Baylor are engaging in dialogue.

It is not known if Baylor resigned or was relieved of his duties. However, suspicion arose when the 74-year old Baylor was not at the Clippers’ new practice facility when training camp opened nor was he listed in any way in the team’s preseason media guide.

Asked about this omission, a team spokesman said that only the coaches’ bios were listed in the guide. However, that was untrue, because in addition to the coaches the director of player personnel, director of scouting, director of international scouting and team physician all were listed.

In addition to those individuals, the team’s athletic trainer, strength and conditioning coach, equipment manager and broadcast team all were listed.

When asked where Baylor was, the same team spokesman said he did not know but believed that Baylor was upstairs in his executive office.

Baylor, who was the NBA’s 2006 executive of the year, has been with the Clippers since 1986, when he was named to the position of vice president of basketball operations.

However, his responsibilities and involvement in team personnel decisions have eroded in the past several years, as head coach Mike Dunleavy has initiated the vast majority of trades and free-agent signings.

Baylor’s most significant decision in recent years was to select center Chris Kaman, who was drafted in 2003, with the sixth overall pick, a month before Dunleavy was hired as the coach.

It was Baylor, who also engineered the blockbuster draft night trade in 2001, when he acquired forward Elton Brand from the Chicago Bulls, in exchange for the draft rights to center Tyson Chandler.

Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1976, Baylor was one of the league’s premier players during an llustrious 14-year career - entirely with the Lakers - in which he averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds.

Baylor’s No. 22 was retired by the Lakers and hangs in the rafters at Staples Center.